Combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler



May 26, 1925.

c w. 'r. BRIDGES COMBINED THERMOSTATIC CIRCUIT CLOSER AND SPRINKLER Filed June 0. 1322 VT Bridges |NvEN+oR ATTORN E Y Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM TOFIIE BRIDGES, OF LA FAYETTE, GEORGIA.

COMBINED THERMOSTATIC CIRCUIT CLOSER AND. SPRINKLER.

Application filed June 10, 1922. Serial- No. 567,392.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM' T. BRIDGES, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Walker and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Combined Thermostatic Circuit Closer and Sprinkler, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler, and has for its object the provision of cooperating devices of improved construction for sinudtancously sounding an alarm and cansing a spray of water to he directed over a predetermined area in concealed and obscure places affected by tire, which devices are auton'iatically set in operation by the heat of combustion.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the umlerstaiuling however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as ex? pressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the combined circuit closer and fire extinguisher. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

In the drawings a combined lire extinguisher and alarm are disclosed, cooperating with each other for simultaneous operation. The extinguisher comprises a water conduit 17 having a coupling member 18 with a laterally extending nozzle 19, in which mounted a rotary valve 20 for controlling the flow of water from the nozzle. The valve 20 is rotatably mounted within a valve casing 21 and adapted to be maintained in open position by means of a coiled spring 22 surrounding the stem ofsaid valve. A lever 23 is integrally formed with the stem of the valve, extended at right angles to said stem, and connected to a screw or lug 24 by means of an easily fusible member 25 for maintaining the valve in closed position. One end of the coil spring 22 is secured to the lever 23. while the other end is connected to the valve casing.

Upon the application of heat to the member 25, the same will be melted or burned away and permit the spring 22 to rotate the valve 20 to open position, thereby alining the port 21 in the valve casing with a passage in the nozzle 19 to permit a spray of water to be forced upwardly and into engagement with a winged wheel 26 located in a horizontal position and mounted upon a threaded stud 27 which depends from a cup-shaped contact member 28. The winged wheel 26, where rotatably mounted on the stud 27, is disposed between a washer and nut; on the stud for maintaining the wheel in proper position relative to the spray of water issuing from the port 21 of the valve casing.

The cup-shaped contact member 28 which supports the wheel 26 has a flanged portion 29 resting on the inner periphery of an opening in the concave portion of a housing 30. Said housing may be of the type usually employed for enclosing the contacts for the push button of the ordinary electric house bell and which is mounted upon the jamh of a front door.

The flange 2%) of the contact member 28 is held in position against the periphery of the small lower central opening in the housing 30 by means of a spring 31 having one end seated in the cup-shaped contact member, with its other end pressing against a plate 32 centrally disposed within the housing 30 and secured in place by means of perforated Iipwardly-extending legs 33, the perforations in the legs alining with the usual perforations in the housing 32, whereby said housing "is secured by means of screws to the underside of the 'fiofor or ceiling of the building.

Spaced slots 3st are cut into the flange 35 of the housing 30 for the reception of the wires at and G, which are connected with an alarm system, sodchat an alarm will be sounded when the wires are connected to each other. Secured on the upper side of the plate 32 is an insulating block 36 having spaced perforations alining with spaced perforations in the member 32 and through which is adapted to be screwed threaded studs 37. The perforations in the slots through which the stubs 37 pass are sutiieiently enlarged to prevent current passing from the studs to said plate.-

Betweenv the head of the studs 37 and the insulating member 36 are wound non-insulated portions 38 of the wires 4 and 6, so that when the threaded studs 87 are screwed down into the insulating member 36, the wires will be securely held in spaced relation to each other. The lower end of the studs 37 provide contact members adapted to be engaged by the flange 29 of the cupshaped circuit closer 28.

-VVhen sufficient heat has been developed in the nei hborhood of the nozzle 19, the easily fusible retaining member 25 will be broken to release the arm 23 to permit the spring 22 to rotate the valve 20 and aline the port 21 with the passage in the nozzle 19, and thereby .cause a spray of water under pressure to be forced against the winged .wheel 26 and cause the wheel to be rotated and spray the water outwardly in all directions within a predetermined area. The ressure of the water in the nozzle 19 against the wheel 26 will overcome the pressure of the spring 31 and force the cup-shaped contact member 28 into en agement with the lower ends of the studs 37 and short-circuit the lead wiresrl and 6 at this point, and sound the alarm.

ll hat is claimed is 1. In a combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler, main lead wires having portions disposed in parallel relation, a water conduit extending transversely of the parallel portions of the wire, nozzles connected with the water conduit at spaced points and provided With rotaryvalves for controlling the flow of water from said nozzles, a lever projecting from the stgm of theyalve, a coiled spring mounted on .the stem of said valve and connected with the operating handle for maintaining the valve normally in open position, and easily fusible material connected with the handle and the nozzle for retaining the valve in closed position, a sprayer wheel adjacent the nozzle and adapted to be rotated by issuing water from the nozzle, spaced contacts connected with the parallel wires, and a movable contact held out of engagement with the spaced contacts and supporting the sprayer wheel, adapted to be moved into engagement with the spaced contacts by the pressure of the water from the nozzle.

2. In a combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler, main lead wires having portions disposed in parallel relation, a water conduit extending transversely of the parallel portions of the wire, nozzles connected with the water conduit at spaced points and provided with rotary valves for controlling the flow of water from said nozzles, a lever projecting from the stem of the valve, a coiled spring mounted on the stem of said valve and connected with the operating handle for maintaining the valve normally open, an easily fusible material for retaining the valve in closed position in opposition to the spring, a sprayer wheel adapted to be rotated by the water issuing from the wires having exposed portions passing through the housing, a plate secured centrally of said housing and adapted to support fixed contact members insulated from said plate and having connections with the wires, said housing being bent inwardly around said openingto form an annular seat, a movable contact member having a central cup-shaped portion extending through the opening, and a peripheral flange seated on said annular seat, a spring'seated within the cup-shaped portion of the movable contact member and holding it normally in its outermost position, but yieldable to an external force applied to the convex face thereof to permit saidperipheral flange to contact with the fixed contact members.

at. In a combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler, main lead wires having portions disposed in parallel relation, a cup-shaped housing secured to a fixed support and having a central opening, said lead wires having exposed portions passing through the housin a plate secured centrally of said housir ig and adapted to support fixed contact members insulated from said plate and having connections with the wires, said housing being bent inwardly around said opening to form an annular seat, a movable contact member having a central cup-shaped portion extending through the opening, and a peripheral flange seatedon said annular seat, a spring seated within the cup-shaped portion of the movable contact member and holding it normally in its outermost position, a sprayer wheel journaled on the movable contact member outside the housing and normally spaced therefrom, and means operable under fire conditions to direct a stream of water under pressure against the sprayer wheel, and thereby force the peripheral flange of the movable contact member into contact with the fixed contact members.

5. In a combined thermostatic -circuit closenand'sprinkler, main lead wires having portions disposed in arallel relation, a housing secured to a fixed support, with the lead wires having exposed portions passing through the housing, a plate secured centrally of said housing and adapted to support fixed contactmembers insulated from said plate and having connections with the wires, a movable contact member comprising a flanged cup-shaped member seated within a perforated concaved portion in the bottom of the housing, with the flange of the movable contact resting upon theperiphcry of ihe opening of the perforation in the housing, a spring having one end seated in the movable contact and its other end in engagement with the centrally disposed plate, and means active upon the melting of an easily fusible material to direct a force against the movable contact to move the lat ter against the pressure of the spring into 1 engagement with the spaced contacts and thereby close'the circuit.

6. In a combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkleiy lnain lead wires hav ing portions arranged parallel to each other, a cup-shaped housing secured to a fixed sup port and provided with spaced contacts con-t nected to each wire, said wires passing through the housing, said housing having a central perforation in its bottom, a cupshaped movable contact normally seated in ,said perforation in the bottom of the housi'ng and out of engagement with the first- 30,

mentioned contacts, and means active upon the melting of an easily fusible material for directing a force against the-lastanentioned contact member to cause it to engage the tirat-mentioned contactmembers and close the circuit at this point. e

, 7 In a combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler, the combination of a relatively fixed cup-shapeddiousing having a central opening, a plate secured centrally of said housing, fixed contactmembers supported by the plate and insulated therefrom, said housing being'bent inwardly around its central openingto form an annular seat, a movable contact member having a central cup-shaped portion extending through the opening and having aperipheral flange normally seated on said annular seat,a spring seated within the cup-shaped portion of the movable contact member and adapted to hold it in its normal position, but yieldable to an external force applied-to the convex face thereof to permit said peripheral flange to-contact Withthe fixed contact members.

8. Ina combined thermostatic circuit closer and sprinkler, a relatively fixed cupsh'aped housing having a central opening, a plate secured centrally ofsaid housing, con tact members secured to said plate and insulated therefrom, said housing being bent inwardly around its central opening to form an annular seat, a movable contact member having a central cup-shaped portion extending through said central opening and having a peripheral flange normally seated on said annular seat,-a spring within the cup-shapedportion of the movable contact member outside, the housing and normally spaced therefrom, and heat operated means to direct a stream of water under pressure against the sprayer wheel and thereby to force the peripheral flange of the movable contact member into contact with the fixed contact members. 4 I

In testimony, that'I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

WILLIAM roumnnmens. 

